TikTok: Book Review: House of Leaves
Tag: book review
Book Review: World War Z
Zombies!
Today I want to talk to you about World War Z. This is a novel by Max Brooks, published by Crown Publisher in 2006. It was also made into a film that starred Brad Pitt and was released in 2013.
The book takes place during a zombie apocalypse and is broken down into five chapters. It’s an interesting book to read, not just for its content but for how it is presented, the five-chapter structure is interesting as is how information is relayed to the reader. The book has a narrator but is a collection of individual accounts which take place across the globe. I particularly enjoyed how the accounts don’t just focus on the ‘ahh’ factor of the zombies but other ramifications including social, political, religious, economic, and environmental changes.
The book is a sequel of sorts to Brooks’ other novel the Zombie Survival Guide. The audio version of the story is performed by a cast rather than a single narrator.
Summary
The story begins approx. 20 years post the start of the zombie ‘pandemic’ and 10 years post the end, we won. The story follows Max, the book’s narrator ad agent of the USA’s post-war commission as he travels the world interviewing other survivors.
Continue reading “Book Review: World War Z”Tiktok: Ghost Story Review
Spooky Ghost
A Man in Winter has a beautiful animated cover! And another Review!
@waynefenlon made this fantastic video of the A Man in Winter cover, I absolutely love it! The cover has come to life!
Also, Baskerville Book Reviews has an article about A Man in Winter! I’m so excited I might just burst 😀
Review: Watchers by Dean Koontz
Talking animals are awesome
Today I am writing to talk to you about Watcher by Dean Koontz, while this is not typically thought of as a horror novel, rather it is listed as suspense, I feel it works well enough as a horror to look at it here.
The book was published in 1987 and is credited as being on of the books that raised Koontz’s status to that of a best-selling author.
Summary
Our main character Travis is a former solider and retired real estate salesman, who has become depressed due to his previous life experiences and now feels that his life is pointless. While on a hike, he encounters a golden retriever which follows him, and they take an instant liking to each other. Travis takes the doggo home and calls him Einstein due to the pooch’s high intelligence levels. The dog does not speak but clearly understands English and can respond in such a way that his intelligence in unmistakable.
We also meet Nora, who is being stalked by a creepy asshole, Arthur. Eventually Travis and Nora meet when Travis rescues Nora from Arthur, with Einstein’s help. Travis, Einstein, and Nora become a family and Travis and Nora keep working to find better ways to communicate with Einstein.
However, through the story it is apparent that Einstein is afraid of something. That something is the outsider. Einstein and the Outsider are both genetically modified creatures, hence Einstein’s intelligence. However, where Einstein only had his intelligence modified the Outsider is an amalgamation of various animals with the soul drive to kill Einstein.
Federal agents are also in pursuit of Einstein, and finally they are also pursued by an assassin who was hired to kill those who know how to kill the Outsider but also wants Einstein to sell.
I don’t want to spoil the ending here, it’s best experienced first-hand. There’s a reason this book is credited with being on of the ones that made Koontz a best seller.
Continue reading “Review: Watchers by Dean Koontz”Review: Dr Sleep
Shinning sequal
Today I am writing to you about Dr Sleep, which is the sequel to Stephen Kings 1977 novel The Shining. Dr Sleep was published in 2013 and one the 2013 Bram Stoker award for best novel.
Summary
The book opens with Danny being educated by Dick Hallorann, who is now a benevolent spirit, on how to control the ghosts from the now destroyed Overlook hotel who are pursuing him. Danny is taught to lock the ghosts in imaginary boxes in his mind, which is enough to protect him. We are also introduced to a cult, led by Rose the Hat, this cult effectively feed on people who have the shining ability is this extend their lives.
Continue reading “Review: Dr Sleep”Review: Ghost Story by Peter Straub
Stories matter
Today I am writing to talk to you about Ghost Story, a novel by Peter Straub. The book was published in 1979 by Coward, McCann and Geoghegan and was turned into a film in 1981. Today we will be talking about the novel, not the film.
I’ve been struggling to write this blog for a while as I find it tricky to express what it is I liked about this story. I also think its one of those ones that is best experienced first hand rather than second hand after having everything spoiled by me in a review. So, with that in mind, this will be brief.
Summary
As I said above this is a difficult story to summarise as I really don’t want to spoil it, so I will be brief.
The story is told by five men, all of whom are lifelong friends, Frederick “Ricky” Hawthorne, Sears James, Lawrence Benedikt, John Jaffrey, and Edward Wanderley, who has been dead for one year. They have dubbed their little group the Chowder Society and meet every so often to tell ghost stories.
However, since Edward’s death they have all been suffering from nightmares and fear that their own sordid past is coming to get them. They write to Edwards nephew, Donald, for aid. Donald arrives and tells his own story of a broken relationship and a suspected murder which he cannot prove.
The chowder society reveal their past, a story of Eva Galli, a beautiful woman, who met an untimely fate. Don suspects that she was a shapeshifter and has returned for revenge.
Continue reading “Review: Ghost Story by Peter Straub”Review: House of Leaves
This book is weird, in the best way
Today I wanted to write to you about a strange book.
House of Leaves, was written by Mark Z. Danielewski and released in March 2000
Fundamentally this is a story about a house which is revealed to be larger on the inside than is strictly possible. This drew me in as I am a Doctor Who fan, and this immediately put me in mind of Time Lords and the TARDIS.
While, I initially struggled with the unusual layout of the book, I’m extremely glad I stuck with it. The story is marvellous and compelling. As always I will discuss the plot below, but I am going to be making an effort not to spoil to much of the story as it is such a great mystery and one you really need to experience yourself.
Continue reading “Review: House of Leaves”Review: Sleeping Beauties
Nap time
As you know, Stephen King is one of my all-time favourite horror writers, so consider yourself pre-warned that I am not walking into this review with an open mind. I picked up this book expecting to love it and I did.
I suppose that makes this blog more a rave than a review?
I’m not blind to the book’s faults, but as with most of my reviews, I prefer to write about what
I liked as opposed to what I wasn’t keen on. Quite frankly there are enough reviews out there that discuss faults, some fairly and others less so, so I’m going to continue to sit here in my corner of positivity.
Sleeping Beauties was released in September 2017 and is a bloody huge story by Stephen King and his boy, Owen King.
Continue reading “Review: Sleeping Beauties”
Letters from a Horror Writer 